Grace's Weekly Record: '1989 (Taylor's Version)'

Taylor Swift released her fourth re-recorded album, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” on Friday, Oct. 27, and it is still twinkly and dreamy as ever.

The re-recording process began in 2019 when Swift’s old record label was sold to music manager Scooter Braun, which meant that he gained the rights to the masters of Swift’s first six albums. So, Swift decided to reclaim her music by re-recording all of her stolen albums.

The original “1989” was released nine years ago on Oct. 27, 2014. Named after Swift’s birth year, the ‘80s inspired pop album made a big impact. The album solidified Swift as a pop sensation and won Album of the Year at the 2015 Grammys. It included pop hits such as “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood.” With the amount of success “1989” had, it is no surprise that “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was one of the most anticipated re-recordings.

“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” carries the same sound as the original, but still shows Swift’s growth as an artist and as a person. My favorite thing about her re-recordings is seeing how differently she sings her songs, signifying that she has grown and moved on from that stage of her life.

For each re-recording, Swift releases special “from the vault” tracks, which are songs that she never released and revisited. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” has five new “from the vault” tracks that fit perfectly with the rest of the album.

The first vault track is the dream-like “‘Slut!’” in which Swift describes the slut-shaming she receives from the media and navigating a relationship despite it: “But if I’m all dressed up/They might as well be lookin’ at us/And if they call me a slut/You know it might be worth it for once.”

In “Say Don’t Go,” Swift pleads for her ex-lover to tell her not to leave after being led on by them.

“Now That We Don’t Talk” expresses the struggle of accepting the end of a relationship, and noticing changes in the other person’s life although you are not a part of it anymore.

“Suburban Legends” is reminiscent of “Mastermind” from Swift’s “Midnights,” with the synth production, and it paints a picture of a magnetic relationship: “And you kissed me in a way that’s going to screw me up forever.”

The standout of the vault tracks is the concluding track “Is It Over Now?” in which Swift wonders if her relationship is coming to an end. One of my favorite lines is: “You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor. The song feels like the perfect conclusion to the record, as the production in the bridge creates a cinematic feeling.